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Climate Change Policy and Politics MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2026/27 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Climate Change Policy and Politics MSc (2025/26), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2026/27)

£21,500

£10,750

Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)

£35,400

£17,700

Duration

1 academic year

2 academic years

Programme starts

September 2026

Applications accepted

Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026

Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

As a minimum, an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard; Applicants should ideally have a background in political science, public policy, economics, environmental studies, or a related subject. We encourage applicants with relevant work experience

The English language level for this course is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

How societies respond to climate change is significantly shaped by politics at the global, national, and local levels. The Climate Change Policy and Politics MSc is for students that want to study climate policy and politics together, to gain knowledge of practical policy tools and the politics of getting them adopted and implemented.

The programme has three core elements: (1) the policy options for mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts, (2) the politics of climate policymaking, including the role of actors, interests, institutions and ideas in policy design, adoption and implementation and (3) understanding the key role of climate justice in shaping the ethics and politics of climate policymaking. You will be additionally trained in cutting-edge quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Overall, this MSc equips you with the skills and knowledge needed to design politically-intelligent climate policies and strategies.

Who this course is for

The programme is suitable for graduates with an interest in climate change policy who want to specialise in the politics of climate change policymaking and develop the skills needed for a career in climate policy or to go on to further academic study, especially in political science or public policy.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The Climate Change Policy and Politics MSc is taught and overseen by researchers and practitioners active in climate change policy and politics, and offers you the flexibility to choose optional modules across a range of topics and departments UCL, helping tailor your learning to your passions and interests.

On this MSc, you are part of UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy, highly-ranked centre for the study of politics and policy (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Politics). High-profile events that feature distinguished external speakers are often held in the department and across UCL, complementing your studies.

By joining UCL, you join the 9th best university in the world (QS World University Rankings 2025), ranked 2nd in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021), and ranked the 1st in the UK and 5th globally for sustainability (QS Sustainability Rankings, 2025).

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Countries around the world have set ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2050,requiring a seismic shift across global economies and industries to change the way we live. Both governments and businesses require personnel with the skills to drive this green transition further and faster.

As this course first ran in 2025/26, there is no graduate survey data to share. We expect our graduates to move on to a range of roles both nationally and internationally related to the green transition, including in:

Government
Think tanks, NGOs and social movements
Private sector, including consultancies
Further academic study at UCL or elsewhere, especially in political science or public policy

(Graduate Outcomes survey 2017-2022)

Employability

On this MSc, you receive high-quality training in climate change policy and politics, political science and public policy theory and research methods, and undertake independent and original research. As part of this learning, you develop strong skills in policy analysis, political analysis, data analysis and interpretation, presenting your ideas. More broadly, this MSc equips you with skills related to leadership, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, time management and self-directed learning.

Networking

As a student in the department of Political Science you will have access to a range of support, activities, and events that contribute to your learning experience.

The department hosts an eclectic array of events, such as our 'Policy and Practice' seminars which include talks by high-profile policy makers, practitioners and academics. We also organise an annual Careers Week, bringing students together with alumni and industry speakers, and offering skills workshops.

Other opportunities for you to broaden your network at UCL include:

The International Public Policy Review: a student-led forum for debate, discussion, and networking for those passionate about politics, governance and international affairs
The International and Public Affairs Society: a student-run society for all students in the Department of Political Science. The Society organises social and fundraising events and endeavours to develop a strong and friendly community within the School of Public Policy (SPP).
UCL Policy Lab: a research institute housed in the Department of Political Science that brings together ideas and everyday experience to tackle policy challenges
UCL Social Data Institute: an institute led by the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences (SHS), which works to amplify UCL’s advanced research and teaching in social data and methods.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars, and is taught by scholars who have carried out theoretical and empirical research in the field. There is an integrated research and teaching approach, where cutting-edge topics are brought into the seminar room for discussion and students are encouraged to carry out original research in these areas, for example as part of their dissertations.

Students are assessed in various ways, including essays, policy briefs, exams, presentations and a dissertation.

As a full-time student, typical contact hours are around 12 hours per week. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials, full-time students use their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments (approximately 20-25 hours).

Part-time students study at a structured rate per week, normally half the rate of full-time study.

Modules

The programme consists of the following compulsory modules: The Politics of Climate Policy, Climate Policy Analysis, Climate Justice, and the dissertation. The first two modules are taught in Term 1 and the dissertation in Term 2. These help you establish advanced foundations in the field of climate change policy, politics, and justice. You work on your dissertation in Term 3 and over the summer.

In addition to these core modules, you choose optional ones up to a value of 30 credits (typically amounting to two 15-credit modules), which allows you to personalise the focus of your course depending on your personal interests..

The programme structure for part-time students follows the same structure as our full-time students and spread across two years.

The distribution of core modules across both years is as follows:

Year 1, Term 1: The Politics of Climate Policy

Year 1, Term 2: Climate Justice

Year 2, Term 1: Climate Policy Analysis

Year 2, Term 3: Dissertation

Optional modules and research methods modules chosen in line with student preferences..

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Climate Change Policy and Politics.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£21,500	£10,750
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£35,400	£17,700

Additional costs

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no additional programme-specific costs.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: Aziz Foundation Scholarships in Social and Historical Sciences

Value: Full tuition fees (equivalent to 1yr full-time) (1 year)

Criteria Based on financial need

Eligibility: UK

GREAT Scholarship

Now closed for 2025/26 entry

Value: £10,000 towards tuition fees (1 year)

Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need

Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

Why you want to study climate change policy and politics at the postgraduate level.
Why you want to study climate change policy and politics at UCL.
What particularly attracts you to this programme.
If you have not formally studied climate change policy and politics before, how does your personal, academic and professional background meet the challenges of this programme.
Where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

When it is necessary to calculate a final average mark, the department will calculate all years of undergraduate study.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This course requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.